Malkin's play in his first 134 games in North America has been enough to earn him a loyal following among fans. But if not, the sentiments he expressed about the Flyers surely would have.

"That's one of the teams that it's not really a pleasure to play against," he said. "When we play there, we have problems, like people throwing popcorn on the bench. I don't really like playing against them. I don't like that team."